Confessions
by KirolaiSemperFi
Summary: Tony confesses something to the prime suspect of a murder case.


**DISCLAIMER: NCIS is to Don Bellisario, as "I wish it was mine!" is to KirolaiSemperFi.**

"That's it." Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs slammed his palms on his desk, pushing himself up. His noise caught everyone's attention. "I'm goin' for coffee. I can't think."

"Mind if I come along, Boss?" McGee asked hopefully.

"I would also like to come," Ziva chimed in.

Gibbs only responded with a nod. On his way to the elevator, he stopped in front of Tony's desk. "You coming, Tony?" He watched as his senior field agent flipped a page of Ducky's finished autopsy report.

"No thanks." Tony replied. "I wanna finish looking through this, then I'll go over the crime photos."

"Geez, take a break," McGee said as he pulled on his coat. "You can look at that when we get back."

Tony gave him a sad smile. "You guys go ahead. Bring me something back if you want."

"The usual?" Ziva asked.

"More sugar." He watched his team disappear behind the elevator doors, and went back to looking at the autopsy report. Something wasn't adding up, and his gut was churning like Gibbs on a wild goose chase."What am I missing?" He muttered, closing the file. He stood up from his desk and grabbed the plasma remote off of McGee's desk, bringing up the crime scene photos.

They had the guy. They had Petty Officer Jordan Romeo isolated in interrogation with no charges pressed yet. Nonetheless, he was the prime suspect in Natalie Johnston's murder. He had been there when NCIS was called, when team Gibbs had arrived and took the photos, watching with every picture being snapped. He had even gone so far as to camp outside of the police boundaries, claiming he had no where else he could go. In Tony's opinion, the man was obsessed.

"Tony!" Ducky strolled into the squad room, no longer dressed in his medical blues. "Where's the rest of them?"

"Out on a coffee run." Tony replied.

"And you passed the opportunity?" Ducky now stood next to the senior field agent. "My, what has you all...concentrated?"

Tony folded his arms, clicking the remote again. "I can't see what this guy's role is."

Ducky leaned closer to the screen, reading Romeo's profile. "Jordan Romeo?..Let's see...He was camping out by the crime scene? Why?"

"That's the thing. I can't figure it out," Tony replied. "Gibbs went in there, but he didn't get anything. Didn't go all out to get him to crack."

"And is that bothering you?" Ducky asked.

"Yeah!" Tony slammed down the remote. "I had to be the one to tell Admiral Luke Johnston that his wife's throat was sliced! He's coming back from Iraq tomorrow."

"That must've been hard," Ducky sympathized. "It was a hard autopsy to perform--"

"And this guy!" Tony smacked the TV screen. "This guy's not willing to say anything! He doesn't want to help us out; get us closer to finding the killer, which makes him the prime freakin' suspect!" He let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why don't you go--"

Tony turned to leave. "I'm gonna go talk to him, Ducky. Thanks."

Ducky watched Tony leave, shaking his head and smiling. "More like Gibbs everyday..."

*******************************************************************************************************************

"Finally!" Petty Officer Romeo stood up from his seat as Tony walked in. "I've been waiting here for hours! When can I leave?"

"Sit down." Tony barked, taking his own seat in the agent's chair. He crossed one leg over the other, inspecting the bottom of his shoe like he'd done when Fornell accused him of murder.

"Look, I already told Agent Gibbs that I'm innocent!" Romeo stated calmly.

Tony picked at the bottom of his shoe. "And did he believe you?"

"...No."

"Then neither do I!" Tony slid his shoe to the ground, sitting properly now. He gave the Petty Officer a glare that closely resembled one that Gibbs had. "I'm sure you wanna get outta here, 'cause I sure do. But, if you wanna leave, you're gonna hafta tell me what you were doing outside of Natalie Johnston's house."

Romeo crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. "I..just wanted to..."

"To what? Clean up after your mess?"

"No! I was just there to...to..."

Tony stood up. "Well, if you're not gonna finish your sentences anytime soon, I might as well contact a JAG lawyer for you." He noticed the small shift in the Petty Officer's position. "I'm surprised you haven't asked for one yourself!"

"Wait! Don't call them!"

Tony put on a mocked curious expression. "You don't want a lawyer? You're going to court, Petty Officer--"

Romeo mumbled something.

"What?"

"I said I'm under probation, Agent DiNozzo. If they're contacted, I'll be dishonorably discharged from the Navy."

Tony took a step back from the door. "I already knew that."

"Then why would you--"

"It works. Now are you gonna tell me?"

Romeo sighed, putting his head in his hands. "I...I loved her, Agent DiNozzo."

********************************************************************************************************************

"Damn lines keep getting longer," Gibbs grumbled as he stepped off the elevator. He looked at Tony's empty desk for a moment, but then continued past it.

McGee and Ziva weren't sure whether or not they should follow.

"Uh, Boss?"

"What, McGee?"

"Want us to wait here?"

"Do you have anything you should be doing?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes? I think?" McGee gave Ziva a 'can-you-help-me-out-here' look.

"I'm pretty sure Tony already did everything on our protocol list, Gibbs," Ziva pitched in.

"Then come on." Gibbs waved them over. "We need to check back in with Petty Officer Romeo."

"What about Tony?" Ziva inquired. "Shouldn't we find him first?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Let him do what he's doing. He's been doing a lot of things lately. Hopefully, he's taking a break."

********************************************************************************************************************

"You loved her?" Tony repeated.

"I did."

"And did she love you back?"

Romeo sighed, tears rolling down his face. It was the first time he was showing any emotion at all. "I don't think she ever knew, Sir."

Tony nodded thoughtfully. "You never...told her, did you?"

"Nope."

"How come?"

Romeo looked around the room, his eyes looking everywhere but directly at Tony. He didn't know what to say; how to explain his difficult position to him. What were the chances that this NCIS agent would understand him?

"Petty Officer," Tony asked, a hint of warning in his voice.

"She waited for me, Sir...We were together back when I first joined the Navy, and s-she waited for me." He took in a deep breath. "We were gonna get married...but then I--"

"--you were shipped out for your first tour." Tony recalled from reading the man's file. "You were gone for eleven months."

"She was upset. She wanted to get married long before, but I was too...afraid." Romeo nodded to himself as if to reassure what he was saying. "And I...I got a letter from her...she had found somebody else...but...I-I-I never got to...tell her."

Tony looked down at the table. "That you loved her?"

"Yes, Sir." Romeo was almost bawling by now. His face was red and his eyes were flooding. "How'd you know?"

Tony sighed. "I know what that's like, Petty Officer."

"Do you?"

Tony nodded. "I've...been in love, too."

"How'd it work out, Sir?"

He hesitated. "I never told her that I love her. She doesn't know."

Romeo looked up. "How come, Sir?"

"I can't tell her." Tony subconsciously looked back at the observation room, wondering if the sounds person was recording all of this. He would have to remember to erase it all later before Gibbs would watch it. At least no one else was back there now..."But I've loved her since the day she walked into my life, asking me if I was...never mind."

Romeo wiped his face continuously. "Did she move on?"

An image of Rivkin suddenly popped up in Tony's mind. He nodded. "I think she did."

"...I'm sorry to hear that, Sir."

"As am I for hearing about Natalie." Tony stood up. "I'll tell my boss to let you go soon."

"Thank you, Sir." Petty Officer Romeo looked up at Tony before he could leave. "Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"It might've been too late for me...but it's not too late for you and her." He sniffed. "What's her name?"

Tony smiled. "Ziva."

********************************************************************************************************************

From the observation room, Ziva's eyes grew wide, and she took looks from both McGee and Gibbs. "Oh...my..."

"Aw man!" McGee suddenly exclaimed.

"What, McGee?" Gibbs asked, still watching Ziva's shocked expression.

"I owe Abby fifty bucks now!"

**A/N: Another story...this one was from a dream...I think. Anyway, I don't remember all of my dreams so I guess I don't really know whether or not it was a dream...Oh well. Maybe it'll come back to me sooner or later. **


End file.
